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New app showcases Cumbria's hidden gems

Heritage trails around Cumbria are being featured on a new mobile phone app launched to promote the county’s hidden gems.

The new app

The Cumbria Museum Consortium has introduced the free app highlighting some of the best places to visit with stories and facts about the people, events and industries which have helped shape them

Cumbrian Heritage Trails has been produced as part of the Treasures of Cumbria project which was launched earlier this year. Members of the public were asked to share their ideas, photos and videos on its website which then plotted each new “treasure” on a map.

The website was set up by Tullie House in Carlisle, Wordsworth Trust, Lakeland Arts Trust with funding from Arts Council England.

Among the trails is a walk from Harrington to Whitehaven which makes use of the newly completed England Coast Path. Also highlighted is a riverside loop of the River Caldew in south Carlisle which takes in wildlife and industry.

The Northern Viaduct Trust supplied content for a circuit from Kirkby Stephen taking in the Merrygill and Podgill viaducts while Alston Moor Historical Society shared an architectural tour around the highest market town in England. Plans for future releases include an historical tour of Barrow and a scenic driving route through the National Park.

Mary Ferguson, the project coordinator says “We’ve featured trails on the app that highlight lesser-known gems as well as some of the more popular routes. We’ve travelled from Alston in the east to Whitehaven in the west and tried to find something for everyone. We’ve loved researching, testing and writing up the trails and hope they inspire people to get out and about and discover the county’s rich heritage.”

The app is currently available for download on Apple devices from the App Store. An Android version will be released shortly. For anyone without a smartphone, files of the routes can be downloaded from the Treasures of Cumbria website at treasuresofcumbria.org.uk/article/cumbrian-heritage-trails.